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Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Bagels

1/18/15

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From coast to coast and even around the world, #SundaySupper is bringing you a menu of Hometown Favorites this week. You don’t have to let a wheat allergy keep you from enjoying one of my favorite breakfast foods. Break out the cream cheese, because it’s much easier than you’d think to make a batch of Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Bagels.

Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Bagels

Say what you want about New Jersey, but there are some iconic and deeee-licious foods from my home state, as well as an amazing food culture with options from high end cuisine to local family-friendly places to authentic ethnic joints. And of course diners. ‘Nuff said. Now that I am in Maryland, I am realizing how lucky I was in New Jersey. I could pretty much have anything I wanted right around the corner, and it was good!! Like really good.

As far as those foods that just scream “New Jersey”, they are plentiful. My hometown was primarily Polish, so our little pocket of the world is certainly symbolized by kielbasa and of course pierogies. My friends from South Jersey introduced me to Panzarotti and seriously people, that may be something I’ll have to take on to make a gluten free version because it’s basically like a pizza-filled donut. Pure cheesy deep fried heaven. We’ve got the pork roll, egg, and cheese sandwiches, and down the shore (yes, “down the shore”, NOT “at the beach”) it’s all about the saltwater taffy, Kohr’s frozen custard and Johnson’s Popcorn, which is, basically, in the opinion of anyone who knows anything, the hands-down best caramel corn in the entire world. Pizza, well, let’s not even go there. In the NY/NJ area where I am from, things like Papa John’s and Pizza Hut aren’t even considered actual pizza.

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Then there’s bagels…

What most people know as “bagels” is really just round bread with a hole in the middle. In NY/NJ, we know bagels. Bagels must be boiled before they are baked to get that chewy extrerior that is almost difficult to rip apart with your teeth, but once you break through, the interior is soft and fluffy. For me, prior to my wheat allergy days, there was nothing like a run to the local bagel shop on a Saturday or Sunday morning and getting a warm cinnamon raisin bagel fresh out of the oven and slathering it with an obscene amount of cream cheese. As in, have a little bagel with your cream cheese.

And honestly, it isn’t the move to Maryland that had me missing bagels. After I found out I had a wheat allergy, I would occasionally allow myself to indulge in one as a treat. But for almost a year now I’ve completely stayed away from all things gluten, so I’ve really missed bagels. I haven’t attempted gluten free bagels because I’m still kind of a novice with both yeast and gluten free baking, so combining the two scared me. But the other reason is that I’m a bagel snob. I’ve bought those frozen gluten free bagels, and really, they are just not worth the calories. I’d rather go without.

But this week’s Sunday Supper theme was just the kick in the butt I needed to attempt to recreate this hometown favorite. Truthfully, unless there are some food science or medicinal breakthroughs that either come up with a way to mimic gluten in baked goods or can treat my allergy, then I’ll never have a real, honest-to-goodness bagel again. But in the meantime…

Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Bagels definitely had the chewy exterior, subtle hint of cinnamon, and pockets of sweet raisins that I know and love. Certainly they aren’t as light and fluffy and my favorite bagels, but they come darn close. Slightly warm with some cream cheese or toasted with butter, and it was so awesome to experience one of my favorite foods again. The boys have been chowing down on them too.

And I don’t know if this is a good thing or a bad thing, because I probably don’t need all of those unnecessary bagel-with-cream-cheese-calories, but they were actually much easier than I expected. And yummier too! I can’t wait to make some more varieties. Stay tuned… 🙂

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And get the rest of today’s menu of Hometown Favorites from around the country and the world at the bottom of this post. Maybe you’ll find one of your hometown favorites!

To finish:

Instructions

For the dough:

Line a baking sheet with a silicon baking sheet or lightly oiled parchment paper.

Place the dry ingredients (brown rice flour through yeast) in the bowl of your stand mixer.

With the paddle attachment, slowly mix ingredients until evenly distributed, about 30 seconds, and set aside

In a small bowl, whist together the eggs, yolks, oil and water.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and slowly increase the mixer speed to medium-high, and mix for about two minutes. Dough will be slightly sticky, so if it is to dry, add additional water one tablespoon at a time until it is a bit sticky and not too stiff.

Stop mixer, add cinnamon and raisins and mix on medium until incorporated.

Lightly dust your counter with tapioca starch - you don't need much, as they roll easier if they remain a little sticky.

Measure out approximately one half cup portions of dough at a time and roll the dough on the counter or in your hands into a smooth ball. Place on the counter and press straight down in the center with your thumb to form the hole, moving it around a bit to widen the hole a little.

Place the bagel on the prepared sheet pan and press it down to flatten slightly. Repeat with remaining dough.

Lightly cover the bagels with oiled plastic wrap and allow them to rise in a warm place for about and hour and 15 minutes to an hour and a half until they are puffy and almost double in size. I warmed my oven to about 80°F and kept them in there.

To finish:

As you approach the end of the rise time, preheat your oven to 450°F and bring a large pot of water to a boil (about 1 1/2 quarts). Add sugar and baking soda to the water.

Drop about 3 or 4 bagels at a time into the pot and boil for about 30 seconds, flipping about halfway through.

Remove them with the slotted spoon, draining off the excess water, and return them to the sheet pan.

Brush the tops of the bagels gently with the egg whites.

Bake the bagels on the center rack of the oven for 5 minutes at 450°F. Reduce the heat to 425°F and bake for 15-20 more minutes, until dark golden brown.

Remove from the oven and cool bagels on racks.

Notes

brown sugar is an important ingredient as it helps with the hint of malt flavor in a traditional bagel

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Comments

If you’re at all near Pikesville in MD, the bagels to get are from Goldbergs.. if you ever feel the need to find yourself a gluten-filled bagel again. Though, I can’t imagine you would with this recipe! I totally feel ya though.. California doesn’t know bagels either haha. I completely agree, they’re not worth the calories!

I’ve always wanted a good bagel from the East Coast. Your cinnamon raisin bagels look so beautiful, especially cut in two and taosted with a little butter to sweeten the deal! Thanks for telling me about your food culture!

I’m trying to guess everyone’s hometown from their post title, but I already know you’re from NJ from reading your blog, so I guess I’m kind of cheating by saying NJ as my “guess”! But I do know how much this area loves bagels, so this makes perfect sense! These look so fabulous! I’m so impressed at you making them gluten-free, too!

Haha I love that you mentioned Johnson’s as a Jersey staple and thats totally what I recreated for my recipe 🙂 Gotta love our good ol’ Garden State! I haven’t had a bagel in so long, I try to stay away from them, but cinnamon raisin has always been my favorite. Now I’m craving….

Oh my gosh I just love bagels. And cinnamon raisin – YUM!! I grew up in Philly and we were pretty serious about bagels as well. I do miss a good bagel, but a trip back home every once and awhile cures that! This gluten free recipe is perfect t share with my bf who has gluten sensitivity, Pinning!

I’m in Philadelphia, so I go over to Jersey quite often. I found myself nodding along with your entire post! Cinnamon raisin bagels are my absolute favorite — I didn’t know there were places that DIDN’T boil them before baking!

Um, yum!!! I’m originally from Buffalo, NY and it was such a melting pot that I loved how many different kinds of meals there. In Florida, we have a lot to choose from as well, but nothing compares to home!